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Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 3026
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 1:29 pm: | 
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I received this via email from a reader - does anyone have more information on this?
- Stephen
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On Thursday 8 January 2004 I was watching what is a popular programme here in Wales, "Fislock's Wild Tracks" In The programme Fishlock is visiting the village of Aberffrow on the South-West Coast of the Isle of Anglesey (I live on the opposire side of the island). The followimg is a verbatim transcipt of the commentary:
"A lingering local story has it that this is the house where the serial killer Jack the Ripper was born and bred.
That his name was Evan Thomas, son of the local pharmacist.
Every time there was a murder in London, he always used to come home, He used to come here on holiday from London.
He took enough poison to kill a carthorse and killed himself off.
Jack the Ripper committed the murders of women, in Whitechapel in 1888.
The Anglesey archives show that Evan Thomas came home from London shortly afterwards.
He killed himself in June of 1889, and the inquest report said he did so... ..' While in a state of temporary insanity.'
A report in the Holyhead Mail described him as a doctor, and it was known that Jack the Ripper had medical knowledge.
And Evan Thomas, lived in the east end of London, only a mile from the murders.
Enough circumstantial evidence for whispers to grow. "
I have never come across this story before and can find no other references to him. Do you know anything?
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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Chris Michetti
Detective Sergeant
Username: Pl4tinum
Post Number: 83
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 2:00 pm: |
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I'm sure Chris Scott could dig up some Census information if any existed!
Chris 
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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1082
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 3:52 pm: |
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As a start here are the death entries for quarters 2 and 3 of 1889 - I'll have a look and see if any census data is available.
Chris
Evan Thomas
Deaths registered in 1889
Quarter 2 - April-June
Aged 58 at Pontypridd
Aged 37 at Swansea
Aged 56 at Aberaron
Aged 27 at Llanelly
Quarter 3 - July to September
Aged 21 at Bedwelty
Aged 60 at Pontypool
Aged 76 at Neath
Aged 22 at Caernarvon |
Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 671
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 4:07 pm: |
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Hi, Stephen
I saw this same information on an ITV website about Anglesey. While of course the name "Thomas" is common in Wales it appears that this man could have been a descendent of a 18th century bonesetter of the same name whose papers are in the Anglesey Archives. There is an interesting article, "The Origins of Modern Orthopaedics and the Anglesey Bonesetter" by Mr Mel Jones LLM LRCP MChOrth FRCS FRCSEd FRCSOrth If so, the medical background is curious and perhaps significant if the observers who thought the Ripper had anatomical knowledge were correct.
All the best
Chris George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info |
Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 5:49 pm: |
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(It was I who sent the original e-mail to Stephen.)<br>
I hadn't thought about the bonesetter Thomases. The first of them was a shipwrecked Spanish lad who took the name of Evan Thomas, his grandson was also Evan. Some of the descriptions of Jack describe him as having a dark beard and a foreign accent (Newspapers at the time of Chapman murder). This fits someone of Spanish descent with the unfamiliar accent of Anglesey.<br>
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Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:19 pm: |
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Since my posting I have been looking at the 1881 census. There are more than 20 men of the name Evan Thomas with an Anglesey link. Evan Thomas,bonesetter, was 76 in 1881 - so he has an alibi; but there is an Evan Thomas from Anglesey working as a chemist's assistant in Aberystwyth. The problem here is that he was only 19 at the census, making him only 26 in 1888, a bit on the young side to be Jack? |
Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:55 pm: |
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I've done a little more research. <br>Evan Thomas's father, Henry Parry Thomas, was indeed the Chemist and Druggist at Aberffraw (16 Llewellyn Street). Evan's younger sister, Ellen, worked in the shop and Henry also had an apprentice. This begs the question, why did his father have an appprentice whilst he worked for another Chemist? My current theory is that Mr Wynne was an Apothecary and Evan was working to become a member of the Society of Apothecaries which would allow him to practise medicine - hence the 'doctor' in the obituary. |
Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1083
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 7:31 pm: |
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Hi Chris G
Interesting...
There is one Evan Thomas from Anglesy in 1881 census who is described as a bone setter but he was 76 at the time.
Address:
Bryneglwys, Llanfwror, Anglesey
Head:
Evan Thomas aged 76 born Llanfaethlu, Anglesey - Bone Setter (Internist)
Children:
Ann J aged 41 born Liverpool - Housekeeper
John aged 21 born Liverpool - Mariner
Servants:
William Pritchard aged 52 - Farm servant
Jane Owen aged 17 - domestic
Ann Owen aged 18 - domestic
However I think I may have been able to trace the Evan Thomas in which we are interested.
In the 1871 census for Aberffraw (not -ow) the following household is listed:
Address:
Llewelyn Street, Aberffraw, Anglesey
Head:
H.P. Thomas aged 39 born Cerigceiniwen
Chemist M.PH.S
Wife:
Anne Thomas aged 40 born Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
Children:
William En. aged 15 - Apprentice
Ellen E aged 13
John Henry aged 6
All children listed as born in Aberffraw
Other:
William Williams aged 30 born Llanfarlog
Assistant to the Chemist
Anne Hughes aged 18 - General Servant
As the son William's middle name was shortened to En. it was a possibility that he was William Evan Thomas. I checked the birth registers for 1855 and 1856 (he was 15 in 1871) and found a William Evan Thomas registered as born in the second quarter of 1855.
The line is not easy to read at the size I can post it but reads:
Thomas - William Evan - Cardiff - 11a 214
I am attaching below copies of the 1871 household and 1855 birth entry.
Hope this helps
Chris
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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1084
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 7:38 pm: |
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Hi Ivor
If the son William Evan Thomas is the one we are looking for he would have been 32 at the time of the Whitechapel murders (15 in 1871)
All the best
Chris
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David Knott
Sergeant
Username: Dknott
Post Number: 33
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 1:31 pm: |
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Hi all,
Details of William Evan Thomas(1856-89), and the local oral tradition in Anglesey are in the A-Z.
David |
Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 3:52 pm: |
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A-Z of what, where or who? |
Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 3:46 am: |
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Is the age of the Aberystwyth Evan an error on the Census? (I'm always finding them when researching my family history)
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Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 679
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 4:48 pm: |
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Hi, Ivor and Chris:
Thanks to both of you.
Ivor, I don't see why you would think the Anglesey Evan Thomas shown as age 19 in 1881 and working at the time as a chemist's assistant in Aberystwyth, and thus aged 26 in 1888, should be viewed as "a bit on the young side" to have been the murderer. Quite the contrary, I should put him right in the frame as a possible suspect if he is the right man.
All the best
Chris |
Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1088
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 8:05 pm: |
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Hi Ivor
I have found another Thomas in 1881 who fits the son of H P Thomas in terms of where born, age (in comparison with the 1871 data) and also the advancement of his career.
The original report said that he was the son of the local pharmacist, but also described him as a doctor. Also, if he lived in London at the the time of the murders he must at some stage have moved into England.
The one I have found was living in Kent as a medical assistant and the details are as follows:
Address:
20 Spital Street, Dartford, kent
Head:
Ebenezer Moore aged 52 born Ireland
General Practitioner MRCS LSA
Widowed
Daughter:
Louisa M Moore aged 25 born Milton, Kent
Boarder:
William E Thomas aged 25 born Anglesey, Wales
Medical Assistant LRC Engd LSA
Visitor:
Edith M Edwards aged 18 born Dartford, Kent
It is by no means impossible that the age field in a census return can be wrong, as to know to my frustration!! But if William Evan did end up as a doctor as described it seems likely to me he would be on his way career wise by the age of 25 rather than still being an assistant in a chemist's shop.
Hope this helps
Chris
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David Knott
Sergeant
Username: Dknott
Post Number: 34
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 3:19 am: |
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Ivor,
My Apologies - The Jack the Ripper A-Z by Paul Begg, Martin Fido & Keith Skinner.
The entry reads: -
THOMAS, DR WILLIAM EVAN[S] (1856-89)
Alleged suspect. Born Anglesey, Lic. Apoth. Hall, Dublin, 1880; Lic. R. Coll. Phys., Edinburgh, 1881. Middle name given as 'Evans' on death certificate: 'Evan' in medical directories, which he presumably approved.
From at least 1884, Dr Thomas practised at 190 Green Street, Victoria Park, about three-quarters of a mile away from Buck's Row. Local oral tradition in Anglesey exaggerated the location to Spitalfields (though one account suggests that he only visited Spitalfields during the relevant ten weeks of 1888), and added that he had returned home unexpectedly to stay with his father in Aberffraw after each murder. Following 'the last' killing, he suffered a breakdown, and after he had been fetched back to Anglesey, poisoned himself.
Since Thomas died 21 June 1889, his death preceded the murder of Alice McKenzie and fell seven months later than the murder of Mary Jane Kelly. It is not known whether the tradition (made public in 1993), also exaggerated the relation to the Ripper murders of his earlier visits home. North Wales villagers give him the Welsh name 'Jacripa'. |
Natalie Severn
Chief Inspector
Username: Severn
Post Number: 532
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 4:03 am: |
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Thanks for the information David.It would be good to find out more about him.
Best natalie |
Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 4:04 am: |
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Thanks David,
We seem to have put a lot of the jigsaw together now. I will try to get over to Aberffraw (The locals call it Berffro! It's only about 15 miles for me; but 3 buses and a hour and a half) in the near future to see what I can find. |
Ivor
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 2:12 am: |
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Hi Chris,
Dartford age matches 1871 Evan better than Aberystwyth Evan. Also note, that if this is so, I was right about the Society of Apothecaries ( although his father is shown as MPS.)
Not far from Dartford to Whitechapel. |
Chris Michetti
Detective Sergeant
Username: Pl4tinum
Post Number: 87
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 4:46 pm: |
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I'm very interested -- looking forward to anything any of you can dig up! Good work!
Chris
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Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 684
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 12:58 pm: |
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Hi, Ivor
I thought we were talking to Ivor Edwards but evidently not, I think, since you say you live about 15 miles from Aberffraw, Anglesey. Ivor Edwards, as I understand it, lives in the Isle of Wight in southern England. Ivor, I take it that you are a resident of North Wales?
Best regards
Chris |
Dr Gary Bovine
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 8:38 pm: |
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Hello, in referring to Evan Thomas the Bonesetter,1804-1884, he practiced in Liverpool,not London, retired in 1863, and returned home to Anglesey, Wales.Some of the descriptions of Jack have him with a beard; there are photos of Evan Thomas, and he has no beard . Also the idea that he would have had medical anatomical knowledge, as a bonesetter, he would be practicing manual manipulation, and not surgery, so this would be unlikely.Dr Gary Bovine, Canada |
gwyndaf
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 5:29 am: |
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Hello,
As a resident of Aberffraw i am very interested in all the comments made, i was born and bred in the village and have always been aware of the rumors concerning the chemists son being ' Jack the Ripper'.There is some confusion as to the house number / name. Number 16 Llewelyn Street(Called Snowdon View) was last used as a butchers shop and next door, number 17 (Bryn Golau) was a chip shop. Both properties have now been empty for a number of years, there has been a planning application approved for the demolition of both properties and for the construction of seven new houses on the site. I understand that the works are to commence soon.
regards
hugh |
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